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10 Things To Do in January to Simplify Your Life

10 Things To Do in January to Simplify Your Life

10 THINGS TO DO IN JANUARY TO SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE

January can be a long month, with many of us experiencing colder, darker days and the after-effects of a merry holiday season. Here are 10 things to do in January to simplify your life as one year closes and the new year begins.

A NEW YEAR AND A NEW MOOD

January can be a dark, miserable and very long month after the festive fun of Christmas. Some of us may have eaten too much, drunk too much or spent too much (and maybe all three)?!

I love Christmas but I also love January because it feels like a fresh beginning and the opportunity to make changes and start a new chapter in my life.

“January is the first month of the year, a perfect time to start all over again, changing energies and deserting old moods, new beginnings, new attitudes.”

Charmaine J Forde

If you’re looking to re-focus and make some changes to create a little more ease and a lot less stress, perhaps you might like to try some of the ideas I’m sharing here and 10 things to do in January to simplify your life…

10 THINGS TO DO IN JANUARY TO SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE

I hope these ideas give you some inspiration and practical tips on ways to bring a little calm, simplicity and joy into your life this month.

1. Choose your word for the year

This is a fun little exercise which encourages you to reflect on what you hope this year will hold for you. I like to choose words that are inspiring, motivating, encouraging and give me scope for growth and change throughout the year. What will you choose as your word?

2. Declutter your home

Try this list of things to declutter in January to clear the clutter from your home step-by-step. Decluttering doesn’t have to be overwhelming or time-consuming (although it may feel like that in the beginning!). Slow, steady progress will give you the same results but without stressing you out in the process. You might also find these tips on where to start decluttering helpful or this list of things to do before you start decluttering so you can plan a little in advance and make clearing your clutter much easier.

3. Your finances

It’s the start of a whole new year so a great time to take stock of your current money situation. And, of course, you might have overspent a little at Christmas so it’s a good way to face up to any money issues and deal with them head on. Work out your income and expenditure per month and plan a monthly budget for the year that suits your lifestyle and financial situation. Aim to get rid of any debts and save where possible.

4. Toys

Declutter the kids’ toys this month, especially if your children have received some new toys as Christmas gifts. Work out what they play with, what they’ve grown out of, what’s broken or has pieces missing. Donate what’s in good condition to children who didn’t receive many gifts this Christmas time and help your kids understand the importance of helping others less fortunate than themselves. 

5. Try my free Personal Growth Challenge

This is a completely free challenge designed to get you thinking about yourself, your life and what direction you’d like it to go in. Learn more about the challenge and join in now.

6. Your calendar

Think back over the last year, look at your diary and assess where and how you spent your time. Was it on things that you wanted to do, or did you often wish for more free time without having to do anything or be anywhere? Think about your plans for this year, be more intentional with your time and what you say yes to as you’ll be saying no to something else at the same time.

7. Give up something

This could be giving up alcohol for a dry January, a social media detox for the month or no clothes shopping for 30 days. The idea is not to make you go without but sometimes it’s good to try something new. In this case it’s about reflecting on what supports you to be fully present for your life, or perhaps what’s just removing you from your life instead. It could be that drinking, scrolling or spending too much may not be supporting you in the best way possible.

8. Set goals

Set yourself some goals for the coming year. They don’t have to be complicated or difficult. Baby steps towards bigger goals are just fine. Be ambitious but realistic and remember to be intentional about your goals – choose ones that really mean something to you and in your life. Write them down and hold yourself accountable to achieving them in a specific timescale.

9. Best memories from last year

Think back over the high points of last year and see if you can find ways to repeat them or do something similar again. You could look back over all your photos from the last 12 months for some reminders (and perhaps declutter and remove some of the blurry, random or duplicate ones whilst you’re looking through them). If you really enjoyed doing something, do it again! Ask your family to recall their best memories and try to recreate them.

10. Tick off your monthly checklist

I created a simple checklist of things to do each month. It’s just a little tool to help you plan, prepare and make things easier for the month ahead. You can read the checklist here and get your free printable too!

READY FOR NEXT MONTH?

If you’d like to get ahead and read next month’s ideas, here are 10 things to do in February to simplify your life!

RESOURCES ON DECLUTTERING YOUR HOME

Here are some other helpful resources and articles on decluttering your home:

DON’T MISS OUT!

I’m Antonia and on this blog I share practical inspiration to simplify your home, time and life. Follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest! You can also subscribe to Balance Through Simplicity and receive regular simplicity tips straight to your inbox for free. Make sure you never miss an article plus you’ll get a copy of my free Declutter Starter Kit as a welcome gift!

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